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DR ANTHONY MELVIN CRASTO, Born in Mumbai in 1964 and graduated from Mumbai University, Completed his Ph.D from ICT, 1991,Matunga, Mumbai, India, in Organic Chemistry, The thesis topic was Synthesis of Novel Pyrethroid Analogues, Currently he is working with GLENMARK PHARMACEUTICALS LTD, Research Centre as Principal Scientist, Process Research (bulk actives) at Mahape, Navi Mumbai, India. Total Industry exp 30 plus yrs, Prior to joining Glenmark, he has worked with major multinationals like Hoechst Marion Roussel, now Sanofi, Searle India Ltd, now RPG lifesciences, etc. He has worked with notable scientists like Dr K Nagarajan, Dr Ralph Stapel, Prof S Seshadri, Dr T.V. Radhakrishnan and Dr B. K. Kulkarni, etc, He did custom synthesis for major multinationals in his career like BASF, Novartis, Sanofi, etc., He has worked in Discovery, Natural products, Bulk drugs, Generics, Intermediates, Fine chemicals, Neutraceuticals, GMP, Scaleups, etc, he is now helping millions, has 9 million plus hits on Google on all Organic chemistry websites. His friends call him Open superstar worlddrugtracker. His New Drug Approvals, Green Chemistry International, All about drugs, Eurekamoments, Organic spectroscopy international,
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and implementation them on commercial scale over a 30 year tenure till date Dec 2017, Around 35 plus products in his career. He has good knowledge of IPM, GMP, Regulatory aspects, he has several International patents published worldwide . He has good proficiency in Technology transfer, Spectroscopy, Stereochemistry, Synthesis, Polymorphism etc., He suffered a paralytic stroke/ Acute Transverse mylitis in Dec 2007 and is 90 %Paralysed, He is bound to a wheelchair, this seems to have injected feul in him to help chemists all around the world, he is more active than before and is pushing boundaries, He has 9 million plus hits on Google, 2.5 lakh plus connections on all networking sites, 50 Lakh plus views on dozen plus blogs, He makes himself available to all, contact him on +91 9323115463, email amcrasto@gmail.com, Twitter, @amcrasto , He lives and will die for his family, 90% paralysis cannot kill his soul., Notably he has 19 lakh plus views on New Drug Approvals Blog in 216 countries......https://newdrugapprovals.wordpress.com/ , He appreciates the help he gets from one and all, Friends, Family, Glenmark, Readers, Wellwishers, Doctors, Drug authorities, His Contacts, Physiotherapist, etc

Today, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved Inrebic (fedratinib) capsules to treat adult patients with certain types of myelofibrosis.

“Prior to today, there was one FDA-approved drug to treat patients with myelofibrosis, a rare bone marrow disorder. Our approval today provides another option for patients,” said Richard Pazdur, M.D., director of the FDA’s Oncology Center of Excellence and acting director of the Office of Hematology and Oncology Products in the FDA’s Center for Drug Evaluation and Research. “The FDA is committed to encouraging the development of treatments for patients with rare diseases and providing alternative options, as not all patients respond in the same way.”

Myelofibrosis is a chronic disorder where scar tissue forms in the bone marrow and the production of the blood cells moves from the bone marrow to the spleen and liver, causing organ enlargement. It can cause extreme fatigue, shortness of breath, pain below the ribs, fever, night sweats, itching and bone pain. When myelofibrosis occurs on its own, it is called primary myelofibrosis. Secondary myelofibrosis occurs when there is excessive red blood cell production (polycythemia vera) or excessive platelet production (essential thrombocythemia) that evolves into myelofibrosis.

Jakafi (ruxolitinib) was approved by the FDA in 2011. The approval of Inrebic for intermediate-2 or high-risk primary or secondary (post-polycythemia vera or post-essential thrombocythemia) myelofibrosis was based on the results of a clinical trial where 289 patients with myelofibrosis were randomized to receive two different doses (400 mg or 500 mg daily by mouth) of fedratinib or placebo. The clinical trial showed that 35 of 96 patients treated with the fedratinib 400 mg daily dose (the dose recommended in the approved label) experienced a significant therapeutic effect (measured by greater than or equal to a 35% reduction from baseline in spleen volume at the end of cycle 6 (week 24) as measured by an MRI or CT scan with a follow-up scan four weeks later). As a result of treatment with Inrebic, 36 patients experienced greater than or equal to a 50% reduction in myelofibrosis-related symptoms, such as night sweats, itching, abdominal discomfort, feeling full sooner than normal, pain under ribs on left side, and bone or muscle pain.

The prescribing information for Inrebic includes a Boxed Warning to advise health care professionals and patients about the risk of serious and fatal encephalopathy (brain damage or malfunction), including Wernicke’s, which is a neurologic emergency related to a deficiency in thiamine. Health care professionals are advised to assess thiamine levels in all patients prior to starting Inrebic, during treatment and as clinically indicated. If encephalopathy is suspected, Inrebic should be immediately discontinued.

Common side effects for patients taking Inrebic are diarrhea, nausea, vomiting, fatigue and muscle spasms. Health care professionals are cautioned that patients may experience severe anemia (low iron levels) and thrombocytopenia (low level of platelets in the blood). Patients should be monitored for gastrointestinal toxicity and for hepatic toxicity (liver damage). The dose should be reduced or stopped if a patient develops severe diarrhea, nausea or vomiting. Treatment with anti-diarrhea medications may be recommended. Patients may develop high levels of amylase and lipase in their blood and should be managed by dose reduction or stopping the mediation. Inrebic must be dispensed with a patient Medication Guide that describes important information about the drug’s uses and risks.

The FDA granted this application Priority Review designation. Inrebic also received Orphan Drug designation, which provides incentives to assist and encourage the development of drugs for rare diseases. The FDA granted the approval of Inrebic to Impact Biomedicines, Inc., a wholly-owned subsidiary of Celgene Corporation.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration today granted accelerated approval to Rozlytrek (entrectinib), a treatment for adult and adolescent patients whose cancers have the specific genetic defect, NTRK (neurotrophic tyrosine receptor kinase) gene fusion and for whom there are no effective treatments.

“We are in an exciting era of innovation in cancer treatment as we continue to see development in tissue agnostic therapies, which have the potential to transform cancer treatment. We’re seeing continued advances in the use of biomarkers to guide drug development and the more targeted delivery of medicine,” said FDA Acting Commissioner Ned Sharpless, M.D. “Using the FDA’s expedited review pathways, including breakthrough therapy designation and accelerated approval process, we’re supporting this innovation in precision oncology drug development and the evolution of more targeted and effective treatments for cancer patients. We remain committed to encouraging the advancement of more targeted innovations in oncology treatment and across disease types based on our growing understanding of the underlying biology of diseases.”

This is the third time the agency has approved a cancer treatment based on a common biomarker across different types of tumors rather than the location in the body where the tumor originated. The approval marks a new paradigm in the development of cancer drugs that are “tissue agnostic.” It follows the policies that the FDA developed in a guidance document released in 2018. The previous tissue agnostic indications approved by the FDA were pembrolizumab for tumors with microsatellite instability-high (MSI-H) or mismatch repair deficient (dMMR) tumors in 2017 and larotrectinib for NTRK gene fusion tumors in 2018.

“Today’s approval includes an indication for pediatric patients, 12 years of age and older, who have NTRK-fusion-positive tumors by relying on efficacy information obtained primarily in adults. The FDA continues to encourage the inclusion of adolescents in clinical trials. Traditionally, clinical development of new cancer drugs in pediatric populations is not started until development is well underway in adults, and often not until after approval of an adult indication,” said Richard Pazdur, M.D., director of the FDA’s Oncology Center of Excellence and acting director of the Office of Hematology and Oncology Products in the FDA’s Center for Drug Evaluation and Research. “Efficacy in adolescents was derived from adult data and safety was demonstrated in 30 pediatric patients.”

The ability of Rozlytrek to shrink tumors was evaluated in four clinical trials studying 54 adults with NTRK fusion-positive tumors. The proportion of patients with substantial tumor shrinkage (overall response rate) was 57%, with 7.4% of patients having complete disappearance of the tumor. Among the 31 patients with tumor shrinkage, 61% had tumor shrinkage persist for nine months or longer. The most common cancer locations were the lung, salivary gland, breast, thyroid and colon/rectum.

Rozlytrek was also approved today for the treatment of adults with non-small cell lung cancer whose tumors are ROS1-positive (mutation of the ROS1 gene) and has spread to other parts of the body (metastatic). Clinical studies evaluated 51 adults with ROS1-positive lung cancer. The overall response rate was 78%, with 5.9% of patients having complete disappearance of their cancer. Among the 40 patients with tumor shrinkage, 55% had tumor shrinkage persist for 12 months or longer.

Rozlytrek’s common side effects are fatigue, constipation, dysgeusia (distorted sense of taste), edema (swelling), dizziness, diarrhea, nausea, dysesthesia (distorted sense of touch), dyspnea (shortness of breath), myalgia (painful or aching muscles), cognitive impairment (confusion, problems with memory or attention, difficulty speaking, or hallucinations), weight gain, cough, vomiting, fever, arthralgia and vision disorders (blurred vision, sensitivity to light, double vision, worsening of vision, cataracts, or floaters). The most serious side effects of Rozlytrek are congestive heart failure (weakening or damage to the heart muscle), central nervous system effects (cognitive impairment, anxiety, depression including suicidal thinking, dizziness or loss of balance, and change in sleep pattern, including insomnia and excessive sleepiness), skeletal fractures, hepatotoxicity (damage to the liver), hyperuricemia (elevated uric acid), QT prolongation (abnormal heart rhythm) and vision disorders. Health care professionals should inform females of reproductive age and males with a female partner of reproductive potential to use effective contraception during treatment with Rozlytrek. Women who are pregnant or breastfeeding should not take Rozlytrek because it may cause harm to a developing fetus or newborn baby.

Tanzisertib has been granted orphan drug status by the FDA for the treatment of idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis. A positive opinion has been received from the EU Committee for Orphan Medicinal Products (COMP

Tanzisertib has been used in trials studying the treatment of Fibrosis, Discoid Lupus, Pulmonary Fibrosis, Interstitial Lung Disease, and Lung Diseases, Interstitial, among others.

Reldesemtiv, also known as CK-2127107, is a skeletal muscle troponin activator (FSTA) and is a potential treatment for people living with debilitating diseases and conditions associated with neuromuscular or non-neuromuscular dysfunction, muscular weakness, and/or muscle fatigue such as SMA, COPD, and ALS.

Cytokinetics , in collaboration with Astellas , is developing reldesemtiv, the lead from a program of selective fast skeletal muscle troponin activators, in an oral suspension formulation, for the treatment of indications associated with neuromuscular dysfunction, including spinal muscular atrophy and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis.

22 Jan 2019 Cytokinetics plans a phase I trial in Healthy volunteers in the first quarter of 2019

Reldesemtiv, a next-generation, orally-available, highly specific small-molecule is being developed by Cytokinetics, in collaboration with Astellas Pharma, for the improvement of skeletal muscle function associated with neuromuscular dysfunction, muscle weakness and/or muscle fatigue in spinal muscular atrophy (SMA), chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). The drug candidate is a fast skeletal muscle troponin activator (FSTA) or troponin stimulant intended to slow the rate of calcium release from the regulatory troponin complex of fast skeletal muscle fibers. Clinical development for ALS, COPD and SMA is underway in the US, Australia, Canada, Ireland, Netherlands and Spain. No recent reports of development had been identified for phase I development for muscular atrophy in the US. Due to lack of of efficacy determined at interim analysis Cytokinetics suspended phase I trial in muscle fatigue in the elderly.

The cytoskeleton of skeletal and cardiac muscle cells is unique compared to that of all other cells. It consists of a nearly crystalline array of closely packed cytoskeletal proteins called the sarcomere. The sarcomere is elegantly organized as an interdigitating array of thin and thick filaments. The thick filaments are composed of myosin, the motor protein responsible for transducing the chemical energy of ATP hydrolysis into force and directed movement. The thin filaments are composed of actin monomers arranged in a helical array. There are four regulatory proteins bound to the actin filaments, which allows the contraction to be modulated by calcium ions. An influx of intracellular calcium initiates muscle contraction; thick and thin filaments slide past each other driven by repetitive interactions of the myosin motor domains with the thin actin filaments.

[0003] Of the thirteen distinct classes of myosin in human cells, the myosin-II class is responsible for contraction of skeletal, cardiac, and smooth muscle. This class of myosin is significantly different in amino acid composition and in overall structure from myosin in the other twelve distinct classes. Myosin-II forms homo-dimers resulting in two globular head domains linked together by a long alpha-helical coiled-coiled tail to form the core of the sarcomere’s thick filament. The globular heads have a catalytic domain where the actin binding and ATPase functions of myosin take place. Once bound to an actin filament, the release of phosphate (cf. ADP-Pi to ADP) signals a change in structural conformation of the catalytic domain that in turn alters the orientation of the light-chain binding lever arm domain that extends from the globular head; this movement is termed the powerstroke. This change in orientation of the myosin head in relationship to actin causes the thick filament of which it is a part to move with respect to the thin actin filament to which it is bound. Un-binding of the globular head from the actin filament (Ca2+ regulated) coupled with return of the catalytic domain and light chain to their starting conformation/orientation completes the catalytic cycle, responsible for intracellular movement and muscle contraction.

Tropomyosin and troponin mediate the calcium effect on the interaction on actin and myosin. The troponin complex is comprised of three polypeptide chains: troponin C, which binds calcium ions; troponin I, which binds to actin; and troponin T, which binds to tropomyosin. The skeletal troponin-tropomyosin complex regulates the myosin binding sites extending over several actin units at once.

Troponin, a complex of the three polypeptides described above, is an accessory protein that is closely associated with actin filaments in vertebrate muscle. The troponin complex acts in conjunction with the muscle form of tropomyosin to mediate the

Ca2+ dependency of myosin ATPase activity and thereby regulate muscle contraction. The troponin polypeptides T, I, and C, are named for their tropomyosin binding, inhibitory, and calcium binding activities, respectively. Troponin T binds to tropomyosin and is believed to be responsible for positioning the troponin complex on the muscle thin filament. Troponin I binds to actin, and the complex formed by troponins I and T, and tropomyosin inhibits the interaction of actin and myosin. Skeletal troponin C is capable of binding up to four calcium molecules. Studies suggest that when the level of calcium in the muscle is raised, troponin C exposes a binding site for troponin I, recruiting it away from actin. This causes the tropomyosin molecule to shift its position as well, thereby exposing the myosin binding sites on actin and stimulating myosin ATPase activity.

claiming the use of a similar compound for treating stress urinary incontinence.

Compound A is 1- [2-({[trans-3-fluoro-1- (3-fluoropyridin-2-yl) cyclobutyl] methyl} amino) pyrimidin-5-yl] -1H Pyrrole-3-carboxamide, which is the compound described in Example 14 of the aforementioned US Pat. The chemical structure is as shown below.

[0097] The methyl 3, 3 -dimethoxy cyclobutane- l-carboxylate solution in MeOH prepared as described in Example 2 was cooled to below 25°C and centrifuged. The filter cake was washed with MeOH(7.00 kg) and the filtrate was pumped to the reactor. The solution was concentrated under vacuum below 55°C until the system had no more than 2 volumes. MeOH

(139.40 kg) was charged to the reactor and the solution was concentrated under vacuum below 55°C until the system had no more than 2 volumes. MeOH (130.00 kg) was charged to the reactor and the solution was concentrated under vacuum below 55°C until the system had no more than 2 volumes. Half of the resulting solution was diluted with MeOH (435.00 kg) and cooled to below 30°C. NH3 gas (133.80 kg) was injected into the reactor below 35°C for

24 hours. The mixture was stirred at 40±5°C for 72 hours. The resulting solution was

concentrated under vacuum below 50°C until the system had no more than 2 volumes.

MTBE(l8l.OO kg) was charged into the reactor. The resulting solution was concentrated under vacuum below 50°C until the system had no more than 2 volumes. PE (318.00 kg) was charged into the reactor. The resulting mixture was cooled to 5±5°C, stirred for 4 hours at 5±5°C, and centrifuged. The filter cake was washed with PE (42.00 kg) and the wet filter cake was put into a vacuum oven. The filter cake was dried at 30±5°C for at least 8 hours to give 3,3-dimethoxycyclobutane-l-carboxamide as off-white solid (112.63 kg, 94.7% yield). 1H NMR (CDCf, 400 MHz) d 5.76 (bs, 1H), 5.64 (bs, 1H), 3.18 (s, 3H), 3.17 (s, 3H), 2.84-2.76 (m, 1H), 2.45-2.38 (m, 4H).

[0098] A reactor was vacuumed to 0.02 MPa and less and then inerted with nitrogen to atmosphere for three times. Toluene (500.00 kg), 3,3-dimethoxycyclobutane-l-carboxamide (112.54kg, 706.9 mol, 1.0 eq.), and TEA (158.00 kg, 1561.3 mol, 2.20 eq) were charged into the reactor and the resulting mixture was cooled to 0+ 5°C. TFAA (164.00 kg, 781 mol, 1.10 eq.) was added dropwise at 0±5°C. The resulting mixture was stirred for 10 hours at 20±5°C and cooled below 5±5°C. H20 (110.00 kg) was charged into the reactor at below 15 °C. The resulting mixture was stirred for 30 minutes and the water phase was separated. The aqueous phase was extracted with toluene (190.00 kg) twice. The organic phases were combined and washed with H20 (111.00 kg). H20 was removed by azeotrope until the water content was no more than 0.03%. The resulting solution was cooled to below 20°C to give 3,3-dimethoxycyclobutane-l-carbonitrile solution in toluene (492.00 kg with 17.83% assay content, 87.9% yield).

[0099] A reactor was vacuumed to 0.02 MPa and less and then inerted with nitrogen to atmosphere for three times. The 3,3-dimethoxycyclobutane-l-carbonitrile solution in toluene prepared as described in Example 4 (246.00 kg of a 17.8% solution of 3,3-dimethoxycyclobutane-l-carbonitrile in toluene, 1.05 eq.) and 2-chloro-3-fluoropyridine (39.17 kg, 297.9 mol, 1.00 eq.) were charged into the reactor. The reactor was vacuumed to 0.02 MPa and less and then inerted with nitrogen to atmosphere for three times. The mixture was slowly cooled to -20±5°C. NaHDMS (2M in THF) (165.71 kg, 1.20 eq) was added

dropwise at -20±5°C. The resulting mixture was stirred at -l5±5°C for 1 hour. The mixture was stirred until the content of 2-chloro-3-fluoropyridine is no more than 2% as measured by HPLC. Soft water (16.00 kg) was added dropwise at below 0°C while maintaining the reactor temperature. The resulting solution was transferred to another reactor. Aq. NH4Cl (10% w/w, 88.60 Kg) was added dropwise at below 0°C while maintaining the reactor temperature. Soft water (112.00 kg) was charged into the reactor and the aqueous phase was separated and collected. The aqueous phase was extracted with ethyl acetate (70.00 kg) and an organic phase was collected. The organic phase was washed with sat. NaCl (106.00 kg) and collected. The above steps were repeated to obtain another batch of organic phase. The two batches of organic phase were concentrated under vacuum below 70°C until the system had no more than 2 volumes. The resulting solution was cooled to below 30°C to give a l-(3-fluoropyridin-2-yl)-3, 3 -dimethoxy cyclobutane- l-carbonitrile solution. 1H NMR (CDC13, 400 MHz) d 8.42-8.38 (m, 1H), 7.50-7.45 (m, 1H), 7.38-7.33 (m, 1H), 3.28 (s, 3 H), 3.13 (s, 3H), 3.09-3.05 (m, 4H).

[0100] A reactor was vacuumed to 0.02 MPa and less and then inerted with nitrogen to atmosphere for three times. Water (603.00 kg) was added to the reactor and was stirred.

Concentrated HC1 (157.30 kg) was charged into the reactor at below 35°C. The l-(3-fluoropyridin-2-yl)-3, 3 -dimethoxy cyclobutane- l-carbonitrile solution prepared as described in Example 5 (206.00 kg) was charged into the reactor and the resulting mixture was heated to 50±5°C and reacted for 3 hours at 50±5°C. The mixture was reacted until the content of 1-(3 -fluoropyridin-2-yl)-3, 3 -dimethoxycyclobutane- l-carbonitrile was no more than 2.0% as measured by HPLC. The reaction mixture was cooled to below 30°C and extracted with ethyl acetate (771.00 kg). An aqueous phase was collected and extracted with ethyl acetate (770.00 kg). The organic phases were combined and the combined organic phase was washed with soft water (290.00 kg) and brine (385.30 kg). The organic phase was concentrated under vacuum at below 60°C until the system had no more than 2 volumes. Propan-2-ol (218.00 kg) was charged into the reactor. The organic phase was concentrated under vacuum at below

60°C until the system had no more than 1 volume. PE (191.00 kg) was charged into the reactor at 40±5 °C and the resulting mixture was heated to 60±5 °C and stirred for 1 hour at 60±5 °C. The mixture was then slowly cooled to 5±5 °C and stirred for 5 hours at 5±5 °C. The mixture was centrifuged and the filter cake was washed with PE (48.00 kg) and the wet filter cake was collected. Water (80.00 kg), concentrated HC1 (2.20 kg), propan-2-ol (65.00 kg), and the wet filter cake were charged in this order into a drum. The resulting mixture was stirred for 10 minutes at 20±5 °C. The mixture was centrifuged and the filter cake was washed with a mixture solution containing 18.00 kg of propan-2-ol, 22.50 kg of soft water, and 0.60 kg of concentrated HC1. The filter cake was put into a vacuum oven and dried at 30±5°C for at least 10 hours. The filter cake was dried until the weight did not change to give l-(3-fluoropyridin-2-yl)-3-oxocyclobutanecarbonitrile as off-white solid (77.15 kg, 68.0% yield). 1H NMR (CDCl3, 400 MHz) d 8.45-8.42 (m, 1H), 7.60-7.54 (m, 1H), 7.47-7.41 (m, 1H), 4.18-4.09 (m, 2H), 4.02-3.94 (m, 2H).

[0101] To a solution of l-(3-fluoropyridin-2-yl)-3-oxocyclobutanecarbonitrile (231 g,

1.22 mol) in a mixture ofDCM (2 L) and MeOH (200 mL) was added NaBH4 portionwise at -78° C. The reaction mixture was stirred at -78°C. for 1 hour and quenched with a mixture of methanol and water (1 : 1). The organic layer was washed with water (500 mL><3), dried over Na2S04, and concentrated. The residue was purified on silica gel (50% EtO Ac/hexanes) to provide the title compound as an amber oil (185.8 g, 77.5%). Low Resolution Mass

[0102] To a solution of 1 -(3 -fluoropyridin-2-yl)-3 -hydroxy cyclobutanecarbonitrile (185 g, 0.96 mol) in DCM (1 L) was added DAST portionwise at 0-10 °C. Upon the completion of addition, the reaction was refluxed for 6 hours. The reaction was cooled to rt and poured onto sat. NaHCCf solution. The mixture was separated and the organic layer was washed with water, dried over Na2S04, and concentrated. The residue was purified on silica gel (100% DCM) to provide the title compound as a brown oil (116g) in a 8: 1 transxis mixture. The above brown oil (107 g) was dissolved in toluene (110 mL) and hexanes (330mL) at 70 °C. The solution was cooled to 0 °C and stirred at 0 °C overnight. The precipitate was filtered and washed with hexanes to provide the trans isomer as a white solid (87.3 g). LRMS (M+H) m/z 195.1.

[0103] A mixture of ( 1.v,3.v)-3-fluoro- 1 -(3-fluoropyridin-2-yl)cyclobutane- 1 -carbonitrile (71 g, 0.37 mol) and Raney nickel (~7 g) in 7N ammonia in methanol (700 mL) was charged with hydrogen (60 psi) for 2 days. The reaction was filtered through a celite pad and washed with methanol. The filtrate was concentrated under high vacuum to provide the title compound as a light green oil (70 g, 97.6%). LRMS (M+H) m/z 199.2.

organic layer was separated, dried over Na2S04, and concentrated. The resultant solid was dissolved in THF (600 mL), followed by the slow addition of DMAP (14 g, 90 mmol) and Boc20 (117.3 g, 542 mmol). The reaction was heated to 60° C. and stirred for 3 h. The reaction mixture was then concentrated and purified by silica gel chromatography

[0106] To a solution oft-butyl 5-(3-cyano-lH-pyrrol-l-yl)pyrimidin-2-yl(((trans)-3-fluoro-l-(3-fluoropyridin-2-yl)cyclobutyl)methyl)carbamate (1.1 g, 3.1 mmol) in DMSO (10 mL) was added potassium carbonate (1.3 g, 9.3 mmol). The mixture was cooled to 0 °C and hydrogen peroxide (3 mL) was slowly added. The reaction was warmed to rt and stirred for 90 min. The reaction was diluted with EtO Ac (75 mL) and washed three times with brine (50 mL). The organic layer was then dried over Na2S04, filtered, and concentrated to give a crude solid that was purified by silica gel chromatography (10% MeOH/CH2Cl2) to afford 1.07 g of a white solid compound. This compound was dissolved in 25% TFA/CH2CI2 and stirred for 1 hour. The reaction was then concentrated, dissolved in ethyl acetate (75 mL), and washed three times with saturated potassium carbonate solution. The organic layer was then dried over Na2S04, filtered, and concentrated to give a crude solid that was triturated with 75% ethyl acetate/hexanes. The resultant slurry was sonicated and filtered to give 500 mg of l-(2-((((trans)-3-fluoro-l-(3-fluoropyridin-2-yl)cyclobutyl)methyl)amino)pyrimidin-5-yl)-lH-pyrrole-3 -carboxamide as a white solid. LRMS (M+H=385).

In 2018, the compound was granted orphan drug designation in the U.S. for the treatment of pancreatic cancer and in the E.U. for the treatment of medullary thyroid carcinoma.

Trk is a high affinity receptor tyrosine kinase activated by a group of soluble growth factors called neurotrophic factor (NT). The Trk receptor family has three members, namely TrkA, TrkB and TrkC. Among the neurotrophic factors are (1) nerve growth factor (NGF) which activates TrkA, (2) brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) and NT4/5 which activate TrkB, and (3) NT3 which activates TrkC. Trk is widely expressed in neuronal tissues and is involved in the maintenance, signaling and survival of neuronal cells.

The literature also shows that Trk overexpression, activation, amplification and/or mutations are associated with many cancers including neuroblastoma, ovarian cancer, breast cancer, prostate cancer, pancreatic cancer, multiple myeloma, astrocytoma. And medulloblastoma, glioma, melanoma, thyroid cancer, pancreatic cancer, large cell neuroendocrine tumor and colorectal cancer. In addition, inhibitors of the Trk/neurotrophin pathway have been shown to be effective in a variety of preclinical animal models for the treatment of pain and inflammatory diseases.

The neurotrophin/Trk pathway, particularly the BDNF/TrkB pathway, has also been implicated in the pathogenesis of neurodegenerative diseases, including multiple sclerosis, Parkinson’s disease, and Alzheimer’s disease. The modulating neurotrophic factor/Trk pathway can be used to treat these and related diseases.

It is believed that the TrkA receptor is critical for the disease process in the parasitic infection of Trypanosoma cruzi (Chagas disease) in human hosts. Therefore, TrkA inhibitors can be used to treat Chagas disease and related protozoal infections.

Trk inhibitors can also be used to treat diseases associated with imbalances in bone remodeling, such as osteoporosis, rheumatoid arthritis, and bone metastasis. Bone metastases are a common complication of cancer, up to 70% in patients with advanced breast or prostate cancer and about 15 in patients with lung, colon, stomach, bladder, uterine, rectal, thyroid or kidney cancer Up to 30%. Osteolytic metastases can cause severe pain, pathological fractures, life-threatening hypercalcemia, spinal cord compression, and other neurostress syndromes. For these reasons, bone metastases are a serious cancer complication that is costly. Therefore, an agent that can induce apoptosis of proliferating bone cells is very advantageous. Expression of the TrkA receptor and TrkC receptor has been observed in the osteogenic region of the fractured mouse model. In addition, almost all osteoblast apoptosis agents are very advantageous. Expression of the TrkA receptor and TrkC receptor has been observed in the osteogenic region of the fractured mouse model. In addition, localization of NGF was observed in almost all osteoblasts. Recently, it was demonstrated that pan-Trk inhibitors in human hFOB osteoblasts inhibit tyrosine signaling activated by neurotrophic factors that bind to all three Trk receptors. This data supports the theory of using Trk inhibitors to treat bone remodeling diseases, such as bone metastases in cancer patients.

Developed by Loxo Oncology, Larotrectinib (LOXO-101) is a broad-spectrum antineoplastic agent for all tumor patients expressing Trk, rather than tumors at an anatomical location. LOXO-101 chemical name is (S)-N-(5-((R)-2-(2,5-difluorophenyl)-pyrrolidin-1-yl)pyrazolo[1,5-a] Pyrimidin-3-yl)-3-hydroxypyrrolidine-1-carboxamide, the structural formula is as follows. LOXO-101 began treatment of the first patient in March 2015; on July 13, 2016, the FDA granted a breakthrough drug qualification for the inoperable removal or metastatic solid tumor of adults and children with positive Trk fusion gene mutations; Key entry was completed in February 2017; in November 2018, the FDA approved the listing under the trade name Vitrakvi.

Poor absorption, distribution, metabolism, and/or excretion (ADME) properties are known to be the primary cause of clinical trial failure in many drug candidates. Many of the drugs currently on the market also limit their range of applications due to poor ADME properties. The rapid metabolism of drugs can lead to the inability of many drugs that could be effectively treated to treat diseases because they are too quickly removed from the body. Frequent or high-dose medications may solve the problem of rapid drug clearance, but this approach can lead to problems such as poor patient compliance, side effects caused by high-dose medications, and increased treatment costs. In addition, rapidly metabolizing drugs may also expose patients to undesirable toxic or reactive metabolites.

Although LOXO-101 is effective as a Trk inhibitor in the treatment of a variety of cancers and the like, it has been found that a novel compound having a good oral bioavailability and a drug-forming property for treating a cancer or the like is a challenging task. Thus, there remains a need in the art to develop compounds having selective inhibitory activity or better pharmacodynamics/pharmacokinetics for Trk kinase mediated diseases useful as therapeutic agents, and the present invention provides such compounds.

Novel deuterated analogs of pyrazolo[1,5-a]pyrimidine compounds, particularly selpercatinib , processes for their preparation and compositions comprising them are claimed. Also claims are their use for treating pain, inflammation, cancer and certain infectious diseases.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration today approved Soliris (eculizumab) injection for intravenous use for the treatment of neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorder (NMOSD) in adult patients who are anti-aquaporin-4 (AQP4) antibody positive. NMOSD is an autoimmune disease of the central nervous system that mainly affects the optic nerves and spinal cord.

“Soliris provides the first FDA-approved treatment for neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorder, a debilitating disease that profoundly impacts patients’ lives,” said Billy Dunn, M.D., director of the Division of Neurology Products in the FDA’s Center for Drug Evaluation and Research. “This approval changes the landscape of therapy for patients with NMOSD. Having an approved therapy for this condition is the culmination of extensive work we have engaged in with drug companies to …

June 27, 2019

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration today approved Soliris (eculizumab) injection for intravenous use for the treatment of neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorder (NMOSD) in adult patients who are anti-aquaporin-4 (AQP4) antibody positive. NMOSD is an autoimmune disease of the central nervous system that mainly affects the optic nerves and spinal cord.

“Soliris provides the first FDA-approved treatment for neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorder, a debilitating disease that profoundly impacts patients’ lives,” said Billy Dunn, M.D., director of the Division of Neurology Products in the FDA’s Center for Drug Evaluation and Research. “This approval changes the landscape of therapy for patients with NMOSD. Having an approved therapy for this condition is the culmination of extensive work we have engaged in with drug companies to expedite the development and approval of safe and effective treatments for patients with NMOSD, and we remain committed to these efforts for other rare diseases.”

In patients with NMOSD, the body’s immune system mistakenly attacks healthy cells and proteins in the body, most often in the optic nerves and spinal cord. Individuals with NMOSD typically have attacks of optic neuritis, which causes eye pain and vision loss. Individuals also can have attacks resulting in transverse myelitis, which often causes numbness, weakness, or paralysis of the arms and legs, along with loss of bladder and bowel control. Most attacks occur in clusters, days to months to years apart, followed by partial recovery during periods of remission. Approximately 50% of patients with NMOSD have permanent visual impairment and paralysis caused by NMOSD attacks. According to the National Institutes of Health, women are more often affected by NMOSD than men and African Americans are at greater risk of the disease than Caucasians. Estimates vary, but NMOSD is thought to impact approximately 4,000 to 8,000 patients in the United States.

NMOSD can be associated with antibodies that bind to a protein called aquaporin-4 (AQP4). Binding of the anti-AQP4 antibody appears to activate other components of the immune system, causing inflammation and damage to the central nervous system.

The effectiveness of Soliris for the treatment of NMOSD was demonstrated in a clinical study of 143 patients with NMOSD who had antibodies against AQP4 (anti-AQP4 positive) who were randomized to receive either Soliris treatment or placebo. Compared to treatment with placebo, the study showed that treatment with Soliris reduced the number of NMOSD relapses by 94 percent over the 48-week course of the trial. Soliris also reduced the need for hospitalizations and the need for treatment of acute attacks with corticosteroids and plasma exchange.

Soliris has a boxed warning to alert health care professionals and patients that life-threatening and fatal meningococcal infections have occurred in patients treated with Soliris, and that such infections may become rapidly life-threatening or fatal if not recognized and treated early. Patients should be monitored for early signs of meningococcal infections and evaluated immediately if infection is suspected. Use should be discontinued in patients who are being treated for serious meningococcal infections. Health care professionals should use caution when administering Soliris to patients with any other infection. In the NMOSD clinical trial, no cases of meningococcal infection were observed.

Soliris is available only through a restricted program under a Risk Evaluation and Mitigation Strategy (REMS). Prescribers must enroll in the REMS program. Prescribers must counsel patients about the risk of meningococcal infection, provide the patients with the REMS educational materials and ensure patients are vaccinated with meningococcal vaccine(s). The drug must be dispensed with the FDA-approved patient Medication Guide that provides important information about the drug’s uses and risks.

Soliris was first approved by the FDA in 2007. The drug is approved to reduce destruction of red blood cells in adults with a rare blood disease called paroxysmal nocturnal hemoglobinuria, for the treatment of adults and children with a rare disease that causes abnormal blood clots to form in small blood vessels in the kidneys (atypical hemolytic uremic syndrome to inhibit complement-mediated thrombotic microangiopathy), and for the treatment of adults with Myasthenia Gravis who are anti-acetylcholine receptor antibody positive.

The FDA granted this application Priority Review. The use for NMOSD received Orphan Drug designation, which provides incentives to assist and encourage the development of drugs for rare diseases.

Activator of pyruvate kinase isoenzyme M2 (PKM2), an enzyme involved in glycolysis. Since all tumor cells exclusively express the embryonic M2 isoform of PK, it is hypothesized that PKM2 is a potential target for cancer therapy. Modulation of PKM2 might also be effective in the treatment of obesity, diabetes, autoimmune conditions, and antiproliferation-dependent diseases.

Eisai Co., Ltd., EP1508570, Lithium aluminium hydride (770 mg, 20.3 mmol) was suspended in tetrahydrofuran (150 mL), 1-(cyclopropylcarbonyl)piperazine (1.56 g, 10.1 mmol) was gradually added thereto, and the reaction mixture was heated under reflux for 30 minutes. The reaction mixture was cooled to room temperature, and 0.8 mL of water, 0.8 mL of a 15percent aqueous solution of sodium hydroxide and 2.3 mL of water were seque ntially gradually added thereto. The precipitated insoluble matter was removed by filtration through Celite, and the filtrate was evaporated to give the title compound (1.40g) as a colorless oil. The product was used for the synthesis of (8E,12E,14E)-7-((4-cyclopropylmethylpiperazin-1-yl)carbonyl)oxy-3,6,16,21-tetrahydroxy-6,10,12,16,20-pentamethyl-18,19-epoxytricosa-8,12,14-trien-11-olide (the co mpound of Example 27) without further purification.1H-NMR Spectrum (CDCl3,400MHz) delta(ppm): 0.09-0.15(2H,m), 0.48-0.56(2H,m),0.82-0.93(1H,m),2.25(2H,d,J=7.2Hz) 2.48-2.65(4H,m),2.90-2.99(4H,m).

Development Overview

Introduction

Mitapivat (designated AG 348), an orally available, first-in-class, small molecule stimulator of pyruvate kinase (PK), is being developed by Agios Pharmaceuticals for the treatment of pyruvate kinase deficiency (Inborn error metabolic disorders in development table) and thalassemia. Mitapivat is designed to activate the wild-type (normal) and mutated PK-R (the isoform of pyruvate kinase that is present in erythrocytes), in order to correct the defects in red cell glycolysis found within mutant cells. Clinical development is underway for inborn error metabolic disorders in the US, Spain and Denmark and for Thalassaemia in Canada.

Key Development Milestones

In April 2017, the US FDA granted fast track designation to mitapivat for the treatment of pyruvate kinase deficiency

In June 2018, Agios Pharmaceuticals initiated the phase III ACTIVATE trial to evaluate the efficacy and safety of orally administered mitapivat as compared with placebo in participants with pyruvate kinase deficiency (PKD), who are not regularly receiving blood transfusions (NCT03548220; AG348-C-006). The randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled global trial intends to enrol 80 patients in the US, Canada, Denmark, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, South Korea, Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Spain, Switzerland, Thailand and United Kingdom. The study design has two parts. Part 1 is a dose optimisation period where patients start at 5mg of mitapivat or placebo twice daily, with the flexibility to titrate up to 20mg or 50mg twice daily over a three month period to establish their individual optimal dose, as measured by maximum increase in hemoglobin levels. After the dose optimisation period, patients will receive their optimal dose for an additional three months in part 2. The primary endpoint of the study is the proportion of patients who achieve at least a 1.5 g/dL increase in haemoglobin sustained over multiple visits in part 2 of the trial

In February 2018, Agios Pharmaceuticals initiated the phase III ACTIVATE-T trial to assess the efficacy and safety of mitapivat in regularly transfused adult subjects with pyruvate kinase deficiency (Inborn error metabolism disorders in development table) (EudraCT2017-003803-22; AG348-C-007). The open label trial will enrol approximately 20 patients in Denmark and Spain and will expand to Canada, France, Italy, Japan, the Netherlands, the UK and the US

In December 2018, Agios Pharmaceuticals initiated a phase II study to assess the safety, efficacy, pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics of mitapivat (50mg and 100mg) for the treatment of patients with non-transfusion-dependent thalassemia (AG348-C-010; EudraCT2018-002217-35; NCT03692052). This study will include a 24-week core period followed by a 2-year extension period for eligible participants. The open-label trial intends to enrol approximately 17 patients. Enrolment has been initiated in Canada and may expand to the US and the UK

Agios Pharmaceuticals, in June 2015 initiated the phase II DRIVE PK trial to evaluate the safety, efficacy, pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics of mitapivat in adult transfusion-independent patients with pyruvate kinase deficiency (Inborn error metabolism disorders in development table) (AG348-C-003; NCT02476916). The trial will include two arms with 25 patients each. The patients in the first arm will receive 50mg twice daily, and the patients in the second arm will receive 300mg twice daily. The study will include a six-month dosing period with the opportunity for continued treatment beyond six months based on safety and clinical activity. The open-label, randomised trial completed enrolment of targeted 52 patients in the US, in November 2016. Preliminary data from the trial was presented at the 21st Congress of the European Haematology Association (EHA-2016). Updated results were presented by Agios at the 58th Annual Meeting and Exposition of the American Society of Haematology in December 2016. Based on results of the DRIVE PK trial, Agios plans to develop a registration path for mitapivat. Updated data from the trial was presented at the 22nd Congress of the European Haematology Association (EHA-2017)

In December 2017, Agios pharmaceuticals presented updated safety and efficacy data from this trial at the 59th Annual Meeting and Exposition of the American Society of Hematology (ASH- Hem 2017). Results showed that chronic daily dosing with mitapivat has been well tolerated and has resulted in clinically relevant, durable increases in Hb and reductions in markers of haemolysis across a range of doses

In June 2018, Agios Pharmaceuticals completed a phase I trial in healthy male volunteers to assess the absorption, distribution, metabolism, excretion and absolute bioavailability of AG 348 (AG348-C-009; NCT03703505). Radiolabelled analytes of AG 348 ([14C]AG 348 and [13C6]AG 348) were administered in a single oral and intravenous dose on day 1. The open label trial was initiated in May 2018 and enrolled 8 volunteers in the US

In November 2017, Agios Pharmaceuticals completed a phase I trial that evaluated the relative bioavailability and safety of the mitapivat tablet and capsule formulations after single-dose administration in healthy adults (AG348-C-005; NCT03397329). The open-label trial enrolled 26 subjects in the US and was initiated in October 2017

In October 2017, Agios Pharmaceuticals completed a phase I trial that evaluated the pharmacokinetics, safety and effect on QTc interval of mitapivat in healthy volunteers (AG348-C-004; NCT03250598). This single-dose, open-label trial was initiated in August 2017 and enrolled 60 volunteers in the US

In November 2014, Agios completed a randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled phase I trial that assessed the safety, pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics of multiple escalating doses of mitapivat in healthy volunteers (MAD; AG-348MAD; AG348-C-002; NCT02149966). Mitapivat was dosed daily for 14 days. The trial recruited 48 subjects in the US. In June 2015, positive results from the trial were presented at the 20th congress of the European Haematology Association (EHA-2015). Mitapivat showed a favourable pharmacokinetic profile with rapid absorption, low to moderate variability and a dose-proportional increase in exposure following multiple doses and serum hormone changes consistent with reversible aromatase inhibition were also observed

Agios Pharmaceuticals completed a randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled phase I clinical trial of mitapivat in August 2014 (AG-348 SAD; AG348-C-001; NCT02108106). The study evaluated the safety, pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics of single escalating doses of the agent in healthy volunteers. Potential metabolic biomarkers were also explored. The trial enrolled 48 participants in the US

IND-enabling studies were conducted in 2013In December 2013, Agios presented data from in vitro studies at the 55th Annual Meeting and Exposition of the American Society of Hematology (ASH-Hem-2013), showing that mitapivat activates a range of pyruvate kinase mutant proteins in blood samples taken from patients with pyruvate kinase deficiency. The company hypothesised that mitapivat may restore the glycolytic pathway activity and normalise erythrocyte metabolism in vivoThe US FDA granted orphan designation for mitapivat for the treatment of pyruvate kinase deficiency. The designation was granted to Agios Pharmaceuticals, in March 2015.

Patent Information

As of January 2018, Agios Pharmaceuticals owned approximately six issued US patents, 65 issued foreign patents, five pending US patent applications and 55 pending foreign patent applications in a number of jurisdictions directed to PK deficiency programme, including mitapivat (AG 348). The patents are valid till at least 2030

Mitapivat, also known as PKM2 activator 1020, is an activator of a pyruvate kinase PKM2, an enzyme involved in glycolysis. It was disclosed in a patent publication WO 2011002817 A1 as compound 78.

WO2019099651 ,

PATENT

WO-2019104134

Novel crystalline and amorphous forms of N-(4-(4-(cyclopropylmethyl)piperazine-1-carbonyl)phenyl)quinoline-8-sulfonamide (also known as mitapivat ) and their hemi-sulfate, solvates, hydrates, sesquihydrate, anhydrous and ethanol solvate (designated as Form A-J), processes for their preparation and compositions comprising them are claimed. Also claims are their use for treating pyruvate kinase deficiency, such as sickle cell disease, thalassemia and hemolytic anemia.

[0003] N-(4-(4-(cyclopropylmethyl)piperazine-l-carbonyl)phenyl)quinoline-8-sulfonamide, herein referred to as Compound 1, is an allosteric activator of red cell isoform of pyruvate kinase (PKR). See e.g., WO 2011/002817 and WO 2016/201227, the contents of which are incorporated herein by reference.

(Compound 1)

[0004] Compound 1 was developed to treat PKD and is currently being investigated in phase 2 clinical trials. See e.g., U.S. clinical trials identifier NCT02476916. Given its therapeutic benefits, there is a need to develo

Compound 1, i.e., the non-crystalline free base, can be prepared following the procedures described below.

[00176] Solubility measurements were done by gravimetric method in 20 different solvents at two temperatures (23 °C and 50 °C). About 20-30 mg of Form A, the synthesis of which is described below, was weighed and 0.75 mL solvent was added to form a slurry. The slurry was then stirred for two days at the specified temperature. The vial was centrifuged and the supernatant was collected for solubility measurement through gravimetric method. The saturated supernatant was transferred into pre- weighed 2 mL HPLC vials and weighed again (vial + liquid). The uncapped vial was then left on a 50 °C hot plate to slowly evaporate the solvent overnight. The vials were then left in the oven at 50 °C and under vacuum to remove the residual solvent so that only the dissolved solid remained. The vial was then weighed (vial + solid). From these three weights; vial, vial+liquid and vial+solid; the weight of dissolved solid and the solvent were calculated. Then using solvent density the solubility was calculated as mg solid/mL of solvent. Solubility data are summarized in Table 1.

Table 1

Optimized Crystalline Form A Hemisulfate Salt Scale-up Procedure

[00202] An optimized preparation of Form A as a hemisulfate sesquihydrate salt with and without seeding is provided below.

[00204] To a 50 L reactor was charged N-(4-(4-(cyclopropylmethyl)piperazine-l-carbonyl)phenyl)quinoline-8-sulfonamide (5) (1.20 kg, 2.66 mol) and water (23.23 L) at 28°C. While stirring the suspension, an aqueous solution of H2S04 (1.0 M, 261 g) was added dropwise over 2 h. The reaction was stirred at 25 – 30°C for 24 h. The solids were filtered and dried under vacuum below 30°C for 96 h to give the product (1.26 kg) in 90% isolated yield.

11. Reproduction and Preparation of Various Patterns

[00205] The patterns observed during the previous experiments were reproduced for characterization. Patterns B, D, E, F were reproducible. Pattern G was reproduced at lower crystallinity. Pattern I was reproduced, although, it was missing a few peaks. Refer to Table 20.

Table 20

Crystalline Free Base Form of Compound 1

[00215] The crystalline free-base form of Compound 1 can be prepared via the following method.

[00216] 14.8 kg S-l and 120 kg DMAc are charged into a round bottom under N2 protection and the reaction is stirred at 30 °C under N2 protection for 40min, to obtain a clear yellow solution. 7.5 kg CDI (1.02 eq.) is added and the reaction is stirred at 30 °C for 2.5h under N2 protection. 0.6 kg of CDI (0.08 eq.) at 30 °C was added and the mixture was stirred at 30 °C for 2h under N2 protection. The reaction was tested again for material consumption. 11.0 kg (1.14 eq.) l-(cyclopropylmethyl)piperazine chloride was charged in the round bottom at 30 °C and the reaction was stirred under N2 protection for 6h (clear solution). 7.5 X H20 was added dropwise over 2h, some solid formed and the reaction was stirred for lh at 30 °C. 16.8 X H20 was added over 2.5h and the reaction was stirred stir for 2.5h. 3.8 kg (0.25 X) NaOH (30%, w / w, 0.6 eq.) was added and the reaction was stirred for 3h at 30 °C. The reaction was filtered and the wet cake was rinsed with H20 / DMAc=44 kg / 15 kg. 23.35 kg wet cake was obtained (KF: 4%). The sample was re-crystallized by adding 10.0 X DMAc and stirred for lh at 70 °C, clear solution; 4.7 X H20 was added over 2h at 70 °C and the reaction was stirred 2h at 70 °C; 12.8 X H20 was added dropwise over 3h and stirred for 2h at 70 °C; the reaction was adjusted to 30 °C over 5h and stirred for 2h at 30 °C; the reaction was filtered and the wet cake was rinsed with DMAc / H20=l5 kg / 29 kg and 150 kg H20. 19.2 kg wet cake was obtained. The material was recrystallized again as follows. To the wet cake was added 10.0 X DMAc and the reaction was stirred for lh at 70 °C, clear solution.

16.4 X H20 was added dropwise at 70 °C and the reaction was stirred for 2h at 70 °C. The reaction was adjusted to 30 °C over 5.5h and stirred for 2h at 30 °C. The reaction was centrifuged and 21.75 kg wet cake was obtained. The material was dried under vacuum at 70°C for 25h. 16.55 kg of the crystalline free base form of compound 1 was obtained. Purity of 99.6%.

A Phase I, Open-label Study to Evaluate the Absorption, Distribution, Metabolism, and Excretion and to Assess the Absolute Bioavailability of AG-348 in Healthy Male Subjects Following Administration of a Single Oral Dose of [14C]AG-348 and Concomitant Single Intravenous Microdose of [13C6]AG-348

A Phase 1, Single-Dose, Open-Label Study to Characterize and Compare the Pharmacokinetics, Safety, and Effect on QTc Interval of AG-348 in Healthy Subjects of Japanese Origin and Healthy Subjects of Non-Asian Origin

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FDA approves first treatment Ruzurgi (amifampridine) for children with Lambert-Eaton myasthenic syndrome, a rare autoimmune disorder

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration today approved Ruzurgi (amifampridine) tablets for the treatment of Lambert-Eaton myasthenic syndrome (LEMS) in patients 6 to less than 17 years of age. This is the first FDA approval of a treatment specifically for pediatric patients with LEMS. The only other treatment approved for LEMS is only approved for use in adults.

“We continue to be committed to facilitating the development and approval of treatments for rare diseases, particularly those in children,” said Billy Dunn, M.D., director of the Division of Neurology Products in the FDA’s Center for Drug Evaluation and Research. “This approval will provide a much-needed treatment option for pediatric patients with LEMS who have significant weakness and fatigue that can often cause great difficulties with daily activities.”

LEMS is a rare autoimmune disorder that affects the connection between nerves and muscles and causes weakness and other symptoms in affected patients. In people with LEMS, the body’s own immune system attacks the neuromuscular junction (the connection between nerves and muscles) and disrupts the ability of nerve cells to send signals to muscle cells. LEMS may be associated with …

May 06, 2019

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration today approved Ruzurgi (amifampridine) tablets for the treatment of Lambert-Eaton myasthenic syndrome (LEMS) in patients 6 to less than 17 years of age. This is the first FDA approval of a treatment specifically for pediatric patients with LEMS. The only other treatment approved for LEMS is only approved for use in adults.

“We continue to be committed to facilitating the development and approval of treatments for rare diseases, particularly those in children,” said Billy Dunn, M.D., director of the Division of Neurology Products in the FDA’s Center for Drug Evaluation and Research. “This approval will provide a much-needed treatment option for pediatric patients with LEMS who have significant weakness and fatigue that can often cause great difficulties with daily activities.”

LEMS is a rare autoimmune disorder that affects the connection between nerves and muscles and causes weakness and other symptoms in affected patients. In people with LEMS, the body’s own immune system attacks the neuromuscular junction (the connection between nerves and muscles) and disrupts the ability of nerve cells to send signals to muscle cells. LEMS may be associated with other autoimmune diseases, but more commonly occurs in patients with cancer such as small cell lung cancer, where its onset precedes or coincides with the diagnosis of cancer. LEMS can occur at any age. The prevalence of LEMS specifically in pediatric patients is not known, but the overall prevalence of LEMS is estimated to be three per million individuals worldwide.

Use of Ruzurgi in patients 6 to less than 17 years of age is supported by evidence from adequate and well-controlled studies of the drug in adults with LEMS, pharmacokinetic data in adult patients, pharmacokinetic modeling and simulation to identify the dosing regimen in pediatric patients and safety data from pediatric patients 6 to less than 17 years of age.

The effectiveness of Ruzurgi for the treatment of LEMS was established by a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled withdrawal study of 32 adult patients in which patients were taking Ruzurgi for at least three months prior to entering the study. The study compared patients continuing on Ruzurgi to patients switched to placebo. Effectiveness was measured by the degree of change in a test that assessed the time it took the patient to rise from a chair, walk three meters, and return to the chair for three consecutive laps without pause. The patients that continued on Ruzurgi experienced less impairment than those on placebo. Effectiveness was also measured with a self-assessment scale for LEMS-related weakness that evaluated the feeling of weakening or strengthening. The scores indicated greater perceived weakening in the patients switched to placebo.

The most common side effects experienced by pediatric and adult patients taking Ruzurgi were burning or prickling sensation (paresthesia), abdominal pain, indigestion, dizziness and nausea. Side effects reported in pediatric patients were similar to those seen in adult patients. Seizures have been observed in patients without a history of seizures. Patients should inform their health care professional immediately if they have signs of hypersensitivity reactions such as rash, hives, itching, fever, swelling or trouble breathing.

The FDA granted this application Priority Review and Fast Track designations. Ruzurgi also received Orphan Drug designation, which provides incentives to assist and encourage the development of drugs for rare diseases.

The FDA granted the approval of Ruzurgi to Jacobus Pharmaceutical Company, Inc.

The product was originated at Nivalis Therapeutics, which was acquired by Alpine Immune Sciences in 2017. In 2018, Alpine announced the sale and transfer of global rights to Laurel Venture Capital for further product development.

In 2016, orphan drug and fast track designations were granted to the compound in the U.S. for the treatment of cystic fibrosis.

Cavosonstat (N91115) was an experimental therapy being developed by Nivalis Therapeutics. Its primary mechanism of action was to inhibit the S-nitrosoglutathione reductase (GSNOR) enzyme and to stabilize cystic fibrosis transmembrane regulator (CFTR) protein activity. A press release published in February announced the end of research for this therapy in cystic fibrosis (CF) patients with F508del mutations. The drug, which did not meet primary endpoints in a Phase 2 trial, had been referred to as the first of a new class of compounds that stabilizes the CFTR activity.

History of cavosonstat

A Phase 1 study was initiated in 2014 to evaluate the safety, tolerability, and pharmacokinetics (how a drug is processed in the body) of the drug in healthy volunteers. Later that year, the pharmacokinetics of the drug were assessed in another Phase 1 trial involving CF patients with F508del mutation suffering from pancreatic insufficiency. Results were presented a year later by Nivalis, revealing good tolerance and safety in study participants.

A second, much smaller Phase 2 study (NCT02724527) assessed cavosonstat as an add-on therapy to ivacaftor (Kalydeco). This double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled study included 19 participants who received treatment with cavosonstat (400 mg) added to Kalydeco or with placebo added to Kalydeco. The primary objective was change in lung function from the study’s start to week 8. However, the treatment did not demonstrate a benefit in lung function measures or in sweat chloride reduction at eight weeks (primary objective). As a result, Nivalis decided not to continue development of cavosonstat for CF treatment.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) had granted cavosonstat both fast track and orphan drug designations in 2016.

How cavosonstat works

The S-nitrosoglutathione (GSNO) is a signaling molecule that is present in high concentrations in the fluids of the lungs or muscle tissues, playing an important role in the dilatation of the airways. GSNO levels are regulated by the GSNO reductase (GSNOR) enzyme, altering CFTR activity in the membrane. In CF patients, GSNO levels are low, causing a loss of the airway function.

Cavosonstat’s mechanism of action is achieved through GSNOR inhibition, which was presumed to control the deficient CFTR protein. Preclinical studies showed that cavosonstat restored GSNO levels.

The chemical compound nitric oxide is a gas with chemical formula NO. NO is one of the few gaseous signaling molecules known in biological systems, and plays an important role in controlling various biological events. For example, the endothelium uses NO to signal surrounding smooth muscle in the walls of arterioles to relax, resulting in vasodilation and increased blood flow to hypoxic tissues. NO is also involved in regulating smooth muscle proliferation, platelet function, and neurotransmission, and plays a role in host defense. Although NO is highly reactive and has a lifetime of a few seconds, it can both diffuse freely across membranes and bind to many molecular targets. These attributes make NO an ideal signaling molecule capable of controlling biological events between adjacent cells and within cells.

[0003] NO is a free radical gas, which makes it reactive and unstable, thus NO is short lived in vivo, having a half life of 3-5 seconds under physiologic conditions. In the presence of oxygen, NO can combine with thiols to generate a biologically important class of stable NO adducts called S-nitrosothiols (SNO’s). This stable pool of NO has been postulated to act as a source of bioactive NO and as such appears to be critically important in health and disease, given the centrality of NO in cellular homeostasis (Stamler et al., Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA, 89:7674-7677 (1992)). Protein SNO’s play broad roles in the function of cardiovascular, respiratory, metabolic, gastrointestinal, immune, and central nervous system (Foster et al., Trends in Molecular Medicine, 9 (4): 160-168, (2003)). One of the most studied SNO’s in biological systems is S-nitrosoglutathione (GSNO) (Gaston et al., Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 90: 10957-10961 (1993)), an emerging key regulator in NO signaling since it is an efficient trans-nitrosating agent and appears to maintain an equilibrium with other S-nitrosated proteins (Liu et al., Nature, 410:490-494 (2001)) within cells. Given this pivotal position in the NO-SNO continuum, GSNO provides a therapeutically promising target to consider when NO modulation is pharmacologically warranted.

[0004] In light of this understanding of GSNO as a key regulator of NO homeostasis and cellular SNO levels, studies have focused on examining endogenous production of GSNO and SNO proteins, which occurs downstream from the production of the NO radical by the nitric oxide synthetase (NOS) enzymes. More recently there has been an increasing understanding of enzymatic catabolism of GSNO which has an important role in governing available concentrations of GSNO and consequently available NO and SNO’s.

[0010] Inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD’s), including Crohn’s and ulcerative colitis, are chronic inflammatory disorders of the gastrointestinal (GI) tract, in which NO, GSNO, and GSNOR can exert influences. Under normal conditions, NO and GSNO function to maintain normal intestinal physiology via anti-inflammatory actions and maintenance of the intestinal epithelial cell barrier. In IBD, reduced levels of GSNO and NO are evident and likely occur via up-regulation of GSNOR activity. The lowered levels of these mediators contribute to the pathophysiology of IBD via disruption of the epithelial barrier via dysregulation of proteins involved in maintaining epithelial tight junctions. This epithelial barrier dysfunction, with the ensuing entry of micro-organisms from the lumen, and the overall lowered anti-inflammatory capabilities in the presence of lowered NO and GSNO, are key events in IBD progression that can be potentially influenced by targeting GSNOR.

[0011] Cell death is the crucial event leading to clinical manifestation of

hepatotoxicity from drugs, viruses and alcohol. Glutathione (GSH) is the most abundant redox molecule in cells and thus the most important determinant of cellular redox status. Thiols in proteins undergo a wide range of reversible redox modifications during times of exposure to reactive oxygen and reactive nitrogen species, which can affect protein activity. The maintenance of hepatic GSH is a dynamic process achieved by a balance between rates of GSH synthesis, GSH and GSSG efflux, GSH reactions with reactive oxygen species and reactive nitrogen species and utilization by GSH peroxidase. Both GSNO and GSNOR play roles in the regulation of protein redox status by GSH.

[0012] Acetaminophen overdoses are the leading cause of acute liver failure (ALF) in the United States, Great Britain and most of Europe. More than 100,000 calls to the U.S. Poison Control Centers, 56,000 emergency room visits, 2600 hospitalizations, nearly 500 deaths are attributed to acetaminophen in this country annually. Approximately, 60% recover without needing a liver transplant, 9% are transplanted and 30% of patients succumb to the illness. The acetaminophen-related death rate exceeds by at least three-fold the number of deaths due to all other idiosyncratic drug reactions combined (Lee, Hepatol Res 2008; 38 (Suppl. 1):S3-S8).

[0013] Liver transplantation has become the primary treatment for patients with fulminant hepatic failure and end-stage chronic liver disease, as well as certain metabolic liver diseases. Thus, the demand for transplantation now greatly exceeds the availability of donor organs, it has been estimated that more than 18 000 patients are currently registered with the United Network for Organ Sharing (UNOS) and that an additional 9000 patients are added to the liver transplant waiting list each year, yet less than 5000 cadaveric donors are available for transplantation.

[0014] Currently, there is a great need in the art for diagnostics, prophylaxis, ameliorations, and treatments for medical conditions relating to increased NO synthesis and/or increased NO bioactivity. In addition, there is a significant need for novel compounds, compositions, and methods for preventing, ameliorating, or reversing other NO-associated disorders. The present invention satisfies these needs.

Schemes 1-6 below illustrate general methods for preparing analogs.

[00174] For a detailed example of General Scheme 1 see Compound IV-1 in Example 1.

[00175] For a detailed example of Scheme 2, A conditions, see Compound IV-2 in Example 2.

[00176] For a detailed example of Scheme 2, B conditions, see Compound IV-8 in Example 8.

[00177] For a detailed example of Scheme 3, see Compound IV-9 in Example 9.

[00178] For a detailed example of Scheme 4, Route A, see Compound IV-11 in Example 11.

[00179] For a detailed example of Scheme 4, Route B, see Compound IV-12 in Example 12.

[00180] For a detailed example of Scheme 5, Compound A, see Compound IV-33 in Example 33.

[00181] For a detailed example of Scheme 5, Compound B, see Compound IV-24 in Example 24.

[00182] For a detailed example of Scheme 5, Compound C, see Compound IV-23 in Example 23.

[00211] A mixture of 2-chloro-6-methoxyquinoline (Intermediate 1) (200 mg, 1.04 mmol), 4-carboxy-2-chlorophenylboronic acid (247 mg, 1.24 mmol) and K2CO3(369 mg, 2.70 mmol) in DEGME / H2O (7.0 mL / 2.0 mL) was degassed three times under N2 atmosphere. Then PdCl2(dppf) (75 mg, 0.104 mmol) was added and the mixture was heated to 110 °C for 3 hours under N2 atmosphere. The reaction mixture was diluted with EtOAc (100 mL) and filtered. The filtrate was washed with brine (20 mL), dried over Na2SO4, filtered and concentrated to give 3-chloro-4-(6-methoxyquinolin-2-yl)benzoic acid (150 mg, yield 46%) as a yellow solid, which was used for the next step without further purification.

Many current medicines suffer from poor absorption, distribution, metabolism and/or excretion (ADME) properties that prevent their wider use or limit their use in certain indications. Poor ADME properties are also a major reason for the failure of drug candidates in clinical trials. While formulation technologies and prodrug strategies can be employed in some cases to improve certain ADME properties, these approaches often fail to address the underlying ADME problems that exist for many drugs and drug candidates. One such problem is rapid metabolism that causes a number of drugs, which otherwise would be highly effective in treating a disease, to be cleared too rapidly from the body. A possible solution to rapid drug clearance is frequent or high dosing to attain a sufficiently high plasma level of drug. This, however, introduces a number of potential treatment problems such as poor patient compliance with the dosing regimen, side effects that become more acute with higher doses, and increased cost of treatment. A rapidly metabolized drug may also expose patients to undesirable toxic or reactive metabolites.

[3] Another ADME limitation that affects many medicines is the formation of toxic or biologically reactive metabolites. As a result, some patients receiving the drug may experience toxicities, or the safe dosing of such drugs may be limited such that patients receive a suboptimal amount of the active agent. In certain cases, modifying dosing intervals or formulation approaches can help to reduce clinical adverse effects, but often the formation of such undesirable metabolites is intrinsic to the metabolism of the compound.

[4] In some select cases, a metabolic inhibitor will be co-administered with a drug that is cleared too rapidly. Such is the case with the protease inhibitor class of drugs that are used to treat HIV infection. The FDA recommends that these drugs be co-dosed with ritonavir, an inhibitor of cytochrome P450 enzyme 3A4 (CYP3A4), the enzyme typically responsible for their metabolism (see Kempf, D.J. et al., Antimicrobial agents and chemotherapy, 1997, 41(3): 654-60). Ritonavir, however, causes adverse effects and adds to the pill burden for HIV patients who must already take a combination of different drugs. Similarly, the CYP2D6 inhibitor quinidine has been added to dextromethorphan for the purpose of reducing rapid CYP2D6 metabolism of dextromethorphan in a treatment of pseudobulbar affect. Quinidine, however, has unwanted side effects that greatly limit its use in potential combination therapy (see Wang, L et al., Clinical Pharmacology and Therapeutics, 1994, 56(6 Pt 1): 659-67; and FDA label for quinidine at http://www.accessdata.fda.gov).

[5] In general, combining drugs with cytochrome P450 inhibitors is not a satisfactory strategy for decreasing drug clearance. The inhibition of a CYP enzyme’s activity can affect the metabolism and clearance of other drugs metabolized by that same enzyme. CYP inhibition can cause other drugs to accumulate in the body to toxic levels.

[6] A potentially attractive strategy for improving a drug’s metabolic properties is deuterium modification. In this approach, one attempts to slow the CYP-mediated metabolism of a drug or to reduce the formation of undesirable metabolites by replacing one or more hydrogen atoms with deuterium atoms. Deuterium is a safe, stable, nonradioactive isotope of hydrogen. Compared to hydrogen, deuterium forms stronger bonds with carbon. In select cases, the increased bond strength imparted by deuterium can positively impact the ADME properties of a drug, creating the potential for improved drug efficacy, safety, and/or tolerability. At the same time, because the size and shape of deuterium are essentially identical to those of hydrogen, replacement of hydrogen by deuterium would not be expected to affect the biochemical potency and selectivity of the drug as compared to the original chemical entity that contains only hydrogen.

[7] Over the past 35 years, the effects of deuterium substitution on the rate of metabolism have been reported for a very small percentage of approved drugs (see, e.g., Blake, MI et al, J Pharm Sci, 1975, 64:367-91; Foster, AB, Adv Drug Res, 1985, 14: 1-40 (“Foster”); Kushner, DJ et al, Can J Physiol Pharmacol, 1999, 79-88; Fisher, MB et al, Curr Opin Drug Discov Devel, 2006, 9: 101-09 (“Fisher”)). The results have been variable and unpredictable. For some compounds deuteration caused decreased metabolic clearance in vivo. For others, there was no change in metabolism. Still others demonstrated increased metabolic clearance. The variability in deuterium effects has also led experts to question or dismiss deuterium modification as a viable drug design strategy for inhibiting adverse metabolism (see Foster at p. 35 and Fisher at p. 101).

[8] The effects of deuterium modification on a drug’s metabolic properties are not predictable even when deuterium atoms are incorporated at known sites of metabolism. Only by actually preparing and testing a deuterated drug can one determine if and how the rate of metabolism will differ from that of its non-deuterated counterpart. See, for example, Fukuto et al. (J. Med. Chem., 1991, 34, 2871-76). Many drugs have multiple sites where metabolism is possible. The site(s) where deuterium substitution is required and the extent of deuteration necessary to see an effect on metabolism, if any, will be different for each drug.

[9] This invention relates to novel derivatives of ivacaftor, and pharmaceutically acceptable salts thereof. This invention also provides compositions comprising a compound of this invention and the use of such compositions in methods of treating diseases and conditions that are beneficially treated by administering a CFTR (cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator) potentiator.

[10] Ivacaftor, also known as VX-770 and by the chemical name, N-(2,4-di-tert-butyl-5-hydroxyphenyl)-4-oxo-1,4-dihydroquinoline-3-carboxamide, acts as a CFTR potentiator. Results from phase III trials of VX-770 in patients with cystic fibrosis carrying at least one copy of the G551D-CFTR mutation demonstrated marked levels of improvement in lung function and other key indicators of the disease including sweat chloride levels, likelihood of pulmonary exacerbations and body weight. VX-770 is also currently in phase II clinical trials in combination with VX-809 (a CFTR corrector) for the oral treatment of cystic fibrosis patients who carry the more common AF508-CFTR mutation. VX-770 was granted fast track designation and orphan drug designation by the FDA in 2006 and 2007, respectively.

[11] Despite the beneficial activities of VX-770, there is a continuing need for new compounds to treat the aforementioned diseases and conditions.

The use according to embodiment 1, comprising administering to the patient an effect amount of (N-(2-(tert-butyl)-5-hydroxy-4-(2-(methyl-d3)propan-2-yl-l, 1, 1,3, 3,3-d6)phenyl)-4-oxo-l,4-dihydroquinoline-3-carboxamide (Compound Il-d):